U.S. patent number 4,839,937 [Application Number 07/217,029] was granted by the patent office on 1989-06-20 for grommet structure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Yazaki Corporation. Invention is credited to Akihiko Fujita, Ryuetsu Oikawa.
United States Patent |
4,839,937 |
Oikawa , et al. |
June 20, 1989 |
Grommet structure
Abstract
A grommet comprises a soft grommet body, including a supporting
portion, arranged such that an electric wire insertion hole is
formed in an inner peripheral portion of a hollow disc-like base at
one end of said soft grommet body, a peripheral wall is crookedly
formed along an outer periphery of said hollow disc-like base, and
a tip portion of said peripheral wall is further bent inwards to
provide said supporting portion. The grommet has an angular pillar.
The pillar has a substrate fitted in an annular recess defined by
the substrate, the peripheral wall and the supporting portion. The
pillar also has a plurality of angular portions each fitted in a
hole of a panel. The grommet has a hard resinous lock member having
stop members for providing a locking force in the hole. An inner
periphery of the supporting portion assumes an angular
configuration having a plurality of corners contiguous to the
plurality of angular portions of the angular pillar.
Inventors: |
Oikawa; Ryuetsu (Shizuoka,
JP), Fujita; Akihiko (Shizuoka, JP) |
Assignee: |
Yazaki Corporation (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
14461082 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/217,029 |
Filed: |
July 11, 1988 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
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Jul 15, 1987 [JP] |
|
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62-107512[U] |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
174/153G; 16/2.1;
174/152G; 248/56; D8/356 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16L
5/02 (20130101); H02G 3/0616 (20130101); H02G
3/083 (20130101); Y10T 16/05 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
F16L
5/02 (20060101); H02G 3/08 (20060101); H02G
3/06 (20060101); H02G 3/02 (20060101); F16L
005/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;16/2,DIG.27,121,DIG.30,DIG.39,122 ;174/65G,152G,153G ;74/553,556
;248/56 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Godici; Nicholas P.
Assistant Examiner: Brown; Edward A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sughrue, Mion, Zinn, Macpeak, and
Seas
Claims
We claim:
1. A grommet for insertion in a hole in a panel comprising:
a soft grommet body, including a supporting portion, arranged such
that an electric wire insertion hole is formed in an inner
peripheral portion of a hollow disc-like base at one end of said
soft grommet body, a peripheral wall crookedly formed along an
outer periphery of said hollow disc-like base, and a tip portion of
said peripheral wall being further bent inwards to provide said
supporting portion;
a hard resinous lock member comprising an angular pillar, including
a bottom wall, having a substrate fitted in annular recess defined
by said base, said peripheral wall and said supporting portion;
said angular pillar also having a plurality of angular portions
each adapted for fitting in said hole of said panel; stop members
attached to the outer periphery of said bottom wall of said angular
pillar for providing a locking force in said hole,
wherein an inner periphery of said supporting portion of said soft
grommet body assumes an angular configuration having a plurality of
corners contiguous to said plurality of angular portions of said
angular pillar.
2. The grommet according to claim 1, wherein the number of said
plurality of corners of said supporting portion is four.
3. The grommet according to claim 1, wherein the number of said
plurality of corners of said supporting portion is three.
4. The grommet according to claim 1, further comprising a wire
fixing means for fixing said angular pillar to said electric wire,
said wire fixing means comprising a planar member integrally formed
with said angular pillar.
5. The grommet according to claim 1, further comprising a wire
fixing means for fixing said angular pillar to said electric wire,
said wire fixing means comprising a planar member integrally formed
with said substrate, said planar member having a stop for
engagement with a peripheral edge of said lock member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a structure of a grommet
consisting of a soft grommet body and a resinous lock member, and
more particularly, to a grommet having a structure for preventing
the grommet body fitted to the resinous lock member from being
released therefrom.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating parts of a conventional
grommet, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the
assembly thereof, and FIG. 3 a rear elevation. The conventional
grommet shown is composed of a soft grommet body A and a hard
resinous lock member B. The grommet body A has a protrusively
provided tube 2 serving as an electric wire insertion hole formed
in an inner periphery of a base 1 assuming a hollow disc-like
configuration. A peripheral wall 3 is crookedly formed along an
outer periphery of the base 1; and the tip portion of the
peripheral wall 3 is further bent inwards, thus providing an
annular supporting portion 4.
An inner peripheral surface of the tube 2 is provided with a
plurality of lips 5 by which an electric wire inserted into the
tube 2 is sealed. For waterproofing, tapes T are wound both on the
electric wire and on the tube 2.
The base 1, the peripheral wall 3 and the supporting portion 4 of
the grommet body A cooperate to internally form an annular recess 7
to which a substrate 8 of the resinous lock member B is
attached.
The resinous lock member B includes the hollow disc-like substrate
8 on which a square pillar 9 is mounted. A bottom wall 10 assuming
a hollow disc-like shape is fitted to the square pillar 9.
Four stop members 11 each having a stop stepped-portion 11a are
vertically provided on the outer periphery of the bottom wall 10 so
as to be directed to the substrate 8.
The stop members 11 are fitted in, creating elastic flexure, when
the resinous lock member B is inserted into a hole of a pannel P,
resulting in elastic enagement of the stop stepped-portions 11a.
The resinous lock member B is thus .seized by the pannel P.
Accordingly, the square pillar 9 is formed to have four angular
portions 9a middled between the contiguous stop members 11 so as
not to interfere with the flexural deformation of the stop members
11.
The supporting portion 4 of the grommet body A, as depicted in FIG.
1, serves to support, with a dimension l.sub.1 an entire outer
periphery of the substrate 8, thus keeping the engagement of the
resinous lock member B with the grommet body A (see FIGS. 4 and 5).
The reference numeral 12 designates an annular outer peripheral
lip, provided along the peripheral wall 3, for protecting the hole
of the pannel P from the permeation of water by virtue of its
close-contact with the pannel P.
The thus constructed grommet is installed in the following
manner.
The grommet body A is, as illustrated in FIG. 2, fitted in the
resinous lock member B, and the electric wire (wire harness) 6
penetrates the bottom wall 10 and the substrate 8 and is inserted
into the tube 2.
Next, the resinous lock member B is inserted into the hole P.sub.1
formed in the pannel P while being guided by the square pillar 9.
At this time, each of the stop members 11 impinges upon an edge of
the hole P.sub.1, thereby producing flexure. Just when the stop
stepped-portion 11a is overlapped with the hole P.sub.1, the stop
stepped-portion 11a is brought into press-contact with the edge of
the hole P.sub.1 by pint of elastic force of the stop member 11,
whereby the resinous lock member B is seized by the pannel P. The
outer peripheral lip 12 of the grommet body A fitted in the
resinous member B is tightly secured to the pannel P, causing
elastic deformation.
In this way, the grommet functions to provide the waterproofing
between the electric wire 6 and the pannel P.
The resinous lock member B fitted in the annular recess 7 formed in
the grommet body A is held in a fitstate by the supporting portion
4. For instance, however, where a tensile force acts on the
electric wire, the grommet body A is stretched together with the
electric wire 6, thereby causing elastic deformation of the grommet
body A. Then, the periphery of the supporting portion 4 is lifted
with the result that the seizing force of the substrate 8 is lost.
Hence, there arises such a problem that the grommet body A comes
off the substrate 8.
The present invention has been made to obviate such problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A grommet according to the present invention comprises: a soft
grommet body including a supporting portion arranged such that an
electric wire insertion hole is formed in an inner peripheral
portion of a hollow disclike base, a peripheral wall is crookedly
formed along an outer periphery thereof, and tip portion thereof is
further bent inwards; a square pillar having a substrate fitted in
an annular recess constituted by a combination of the base, the
peripheral wall and the supporting portion, and a plurality of
angular portions each fitted in a hole of a pannel; and a hard
resinous lock member having stop members for providing locking in
the hole. In this construction, an inner periphery of the
supporting portion assumes an angular configuration having corners
close to the plurality of angular portions.
With this arrangement, a seizing width of the supporting portion
for seizing the substrate of the resinous lock member is widened.
Even if the tensile force works on the grommet body to such an
extent that the grommet body is deformed, it is hard for the
substrate to be released from the annular recess because of the
larger seizing width of the supporting portion. This results in
improvement of reliability of a water proofing function of the
grommet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a grommet body and a resinous
lock member according to the prior art;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIG.
3;
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the grommet according to the prior
art;
FIG. 4 is a sectional perspective view showing a portion in the
vicinity of a stop member of the grommet shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a sectional perspective view showing an angular portion
of a square pillar of the grommet shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI--VI of FIG.
7;
FIG. 7 is a rear view of a grommet according to the present
invention;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a seizing area of the
embodiment;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a grommet body and a resinous
local member according to the invention;
FIG. 10 is a sectional perspective view, taken along the line X--X
of FIG. 6, showing a portion in the vicinity of a stop member of
the grommet according to the invention;
FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the
invention;
FIGS. 12 to 14 show another embodiment of the invention; and
FIGS. 15 to 17 show still another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Note that the same components as those in the conventional example
are marked with the like symbols.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a grommet, FIG. 6 is a rear
elevation thereof and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing parts
thereof. The grommet shown consists essentially of a soft grommet
body A and a hard resinous lock member B. A substrate 8 is fitted
in an annular recess 7, which arrangement is the same as that in
the prior art. In addition, a configuration of the resinous lock
member B is identical with that in the conventional example.
An inner periphery of a supporting portion 4, as depicted in FIGS.
6 and 8, assumes a substantially square shape. Namely, this square
is shaped by connecting an inner periphery 4b with a rectilinear
line.
In the prior art, the substrate 8 seizing width of the supporting
portion 4 is uniformly l.sub.1 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). In contrast
with this, according to the present invention the seizing width is
l.sub.1 at a corner 4c but is l.sub.2 in the intermediate portion
between corners 4c (see FIG. 8). A seizing area increases by a
range 13 defined by a dotted line of FIG. 7.
Therefore, the grommet body A is stretched together with an
electric wire 6 undergoing outer tensile forces so that the grommet
body A is subjected to distortion. Even under such a condition, it
is difficult for the supporting portion 4 to come off the substrate
8.
Directing attention to FIG. 11, there is shown another embodiment
of the present invention, wherein a polygonal pillar 9 includes
three angular portions 9a, and the inner periphery 4d of the
supporting portion 4 takes a substantially triangular
configuration.
In such a case, the substrate 8 seizing area of the supporting
portion 4 increments by a range 14 defined by the dotted line as
compared with that in the conventional example, whereby it is hard
for the supporting portion 4 to be released from the substrate
8.
Where the square pillar 9 has five pieces of angular portions 9a,
the configuration of the inner periphery of the supporting portion
4 may be substantially pentagonal.
However, if the configuration of the inner periphery of the
supporting portion 4 is arranged to be more polygonal, the
substrate 8 seizing area of the supporting portion 4 will be
stepwise shrunk. Therefore, the seizing force undesirably exhibits
less effects.
As discussed above, the present invention provides the following
effects. Since the inner periphery of the supporting portion of the
grommet body assumes the angular configuration having corners
contiguous to the plurality of angular portions, the area for
seizing the substrate thereof increases. By virtue of this
arrangement, it is difficult for the grommet body to come off the
resinous lock member, thereby improving the reliability of a
waterproofing function of the grommet.
Another embodiment of the present invention will now be described
with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14 in which the same reference
numerals are used to designate the like components or members. In
FIGS. 13 and 14, a hard resinous lock member B is provided with a
base plate 8 and a circumferential wall 90 integrally formed with
the base plate 8. An inward peripheral edge 93 is directed
centrally. A plurality of cutout stop members 11 are formed in the
circumferential wall 90. In this embodiment, instead of the
specific form of the supporting portion 4, an electric wire fixing
portion 91 is formed integrally with the peripheral edge portion 93
of the resinous lock member B. The plate-like fixing portion 91
extends downwardly with a thickness being gradually decreased
toward a distal end at which a projection 91a is provided. In this
embodiment, the grommet structure may be installed on the pannel P
substantially in the same manner as in the foregoing embodiment. A
tape T is applied to the tube 2 and the wire fixing portion 91 as
shown in FIG. 12.
FIGS. 15 to 17 show another embodiment of the invention, in which
the same reference numerals are used to indicate the like
components or members. As shown in FIG. 16, an electric wire fixing
portion 150 that is substantially in the form of a planar member is
integrally formed through a hinge portion 140 with the substrate 8
of one lock member B. It should be noted that the lock member 8 is
divided into two halves to be assembled later. A stop 160 is formed
on one side of the fixing portion 150 at a distance l.sub.3 from
the hinge portion 140. The distance l.sub.3 is somewhat larger than
a thickness l.sub.4 of the resinous lock member C. Namely, the
fixing portion 150 is turned through 180.degree. with the
projecting stop 160 being directed outwardly as shown in FIG. 16.
In this case the stop 160 is positioned in contact with the
peripheral edge 93 of the lock member B. The wire fixing portion
has a projection 150a at its distal end around which the tape T is
applied as in the foregoing embodiment.
It is apparent for those skilled in the art that the wire fixing
means shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 and 15 to 17 may be applied to the
square pillar structures shown in FIGS. 6 to 11.
* * * * *